Knife Skills: Julienning vegetables

How to cut vegetables of various shapes and sizes into neat, even julienne strips

1. Give the vegetable a flat base: Peel the carrot (or potato or other vegetable), then cut off a thin slice lengthwise and lay the carrot flat on that side for a more stable footing.2. Cut into planks: Square off the sides and then cut the vegetable into 1/8-inch- or 1/16-inch-thick slabs.3. Stack and slice: Stack a few of the planks and then cut them lengthwise into 1/8-inch- or 1/16-inch-wide strips.